Synonyms

narrate

American

[nar-eyt, na-reyt] / ˈnær eɪt, næˈreɪt /

verb (used with object)

to give an account or tell the story of (events, experiences, etc.).

Synonyms:

recite, detail
to add a spoken commentary to (a film, television program, etc.).

The Oscar-winning actor recently produced and narrated a new documentary on climate change.

verb (used without object)

to relate or recount events, experiences, etc., in speech or writing.

narrate British

/ nəˈreɪt /

verb

to tell (a story); relate
to speak in accompaniment of (a film, television programme, etc)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See describe.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of narrate

First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin narrātus (past participle of narrāre ”to relate, tell, say”), equivalent to nār(us) “knowing, acquainted with” (variant of gnārus; see cognition) + -ātus -ate ¹

Explanation

When you tell a story or describe something out loud, you narrate. You might hire a well-known actor to narrate your documentary film about circus elephants. One way to narrate is to comment on or describe visual images — photographs or scenes in a film, for example. You can also narrate a story simply by relaying the details aloud. In books, a character sometimes narrates the story as well. It appears that narration, or the action of telling a story, came before narrate, from the Latin root narrare, "to tell, relate, or recount," or literally, "to make acquainted with."

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

De Barbaro recommends parents narrate what they’re doing and point things out when they’re with their babies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 25, 2026

Giroux said, It is an attempt to discipline public memory by intimidating those who refuse to narrate the nation as innocent.

From Salon • Mar. 2, 2026

"I love how they narrate the stories, and also the drawings," the 13-year-old said.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

"I gave Steve my phone and asked him to narrate me driving as Alan Partridge," Brydon said.

From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025

I need not narrate in detail the further struggles I had, and arguments I used, to get matters regarding the legacy settled as I wished.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023